Those Icy Eyes DBZ Story Chapter 1 Not Mine!
by DarkLozFanUberest
Summary: This story belongs to IcyPinkPop of Quizilla, not me! I wanted an easier way to read it so posted it here, all credit goes to her! TrunksXSelf-Insert Story, and has an awe summoning plot!
1. Crash Bang

Okayz First and Foremost, this story ish not minez!! Title says. NEwayz, this ish a Dragon Ball Z story, and belongs to one of my fav. Authors on Quizilla, "icypinkpop" Hehehe, I jus' luv that UN! And all credit goes to her! I just corrected a few typos an' such, basically Quizilla annoys the hell outta me now going back n' forth, an' back n' forth all the time ta get to the new chapter so I thought I'd post this! x3 And AGAIN! This story is not mine! It is "icypinkpop"'s story so don't bitch at me that it isn't mine! I know that! Oh and by the by this is a xSelf-Insert Story with lotsa firs' personing so if this bugs ya, ya might not wanna read… Nah, ya should read it NEwayz!! XDD

THNX4URmin, DarkLozFanUberest!!

CRASH!!

You hear the shattering noise echo throughout the empty building.

Trembling in fear, you draw your knees to your chest and slowly slide further under the desk, the hole in your jeans allowing you to feel the cold floor below. The hair on your blotchy arms stands up as you begin to hear soft footsteps approaching your hiding place.

'It can't be them,' you mouth the words to yourself. 'It just can't be.' Squinting your eyes nearly shut, you shudder when you hear an all-too-familiar female voice ring out somewhere behind you.

"There's no one here, 17." it says in a rather bored tone. "This place is a dump. Why would anyone hide out here?"

Trying hard as humanly possible to hold in your shaking breaths, you bite your lip as you hear a quiet sigh.

"Please, 18. Have a little patience," a different voice says, making your eyes snap open in horror. "Even if no one's here, we might be able to have a little fun with what's left of the place." The female voice emits an exasperated sound.

"Haven't you destroyed enough buildings for today?" The voice takes on a twinge of annoyance. "Come on 17, let's just go."

Exhaling sharply when you begin to hear footsteps walking away, you cover your mouth with your hands, hoping the intruders hadn't heard you. However, you hear the male voice speak again directly after.

"Stop 18. I heard something." Choking back a startled gasp, you close your eyes tightly and shake your head in denial. 'No, no, no,' you think over and over again in your head. 'No, just go away, please...' A disconcerting period of silence ensues before you can muster up the courage to open your eyes.

Slowly turning your head to the side, you frown in confusion when you see a soft blue light emanating from somewhere above you. Your confusion immediately turns to shock and unspeakable fright as you hear the male voice speak once more.

"Come out!" it says rather loudly. "I know you're there. Show yourself or I'll blow the place up."

You hesitate, your muscles unwilling to move away from their locked positions. However, knowing that surrender is your best chance of survival, you slowly stretch your legs and crawl out from underneath the desk.

Looking up timidly, you observe a form in the shape of a young man hovering in the air a few feet away. His jet-black hair falls sharply around his pointed face, and he tosses his head slightly to the side in order to sweep a rogue strand aside. You stare up fearfully at his narrow, icy blue eyes, which you had the unpleasant opportunity to honestly say you knew as well as you did your own. An orange bandana is tied around his neck, and he holds his right hand in the air above his head, a shimmering blue orb resting in his palm. He smirks amusedly at you and hovers back down to earth, the energy ball dissipating in his hand.

You stare at him in utter horror, recalling with reluctance the last time you had come face-to-face, unable to move. Shaking, you turn your attention to the figure standing beside him. A female of the same height, it appears, with short blond hair and eyes identical to those of her companion. The string of pearls hanging from her pallid neck shines in the moonlight that travels through the closed window. Crossing her arms, she narrows her eyes at you.

"Hey, 17." she says, staring you in the face. "Didn't we see this girl about a week ago?" Eyes glinting, the other nods.

"Yes, you're right. Tell me, girl, how's your family doing?" You glare back at him in anger, knowing perfectly well that these two are the reason you're in this building in the first place. Feeling cold tears run down your cheeks, you extend a trembling fist out in front of you.

"You..." you begin, but feel your throat close up in fear, finding it impossible to continue. Slowly, the young man outstretches his hand and the azure ball of sparkling light appears in his palm once again.

"Well, you seem scared. How about I put you out of your misery?" he asks, his unwavering voice trickling over you like ice water. Before you can respond, he swings his arm towards you and releases the blast.

Screaming in surprise and desperate fear, you fling yourself away from it and towards the wall opposite, crying out when you feel your arm slam into the steel of the window rim. Staggering up in immense pain, you bite your lip and begin to run towards the exit.

'I've got to get out.' you think. 'I can't end up like everyone else.' Before you can reach it, however, you feel something hard smack into your back and you fall over, yelping. Breathing heavily, you turn around and see the young man standing over you, arms crossed.

"Now, you didn't really think you could get away, did you?" he asks coolly, eyes locking with yours. Sliding your elbow underneath you, you slowly attempt to raise yourself, wailing when you feel the strong sensation of pain shooting through your arm.

The man lets out a soft laugh that sends chills down your spine. Before you can react, he outstretches his leg and slams it against your side, propelling you though the air into the other wall. You scream in pain again as your arm makes a disturbing popping noise, and you lay, helpless and paralyzed, against the cool floor. Your eyes drift over to his partner, who stands with her hands on her hips next to the other wall.

"Come on, 17. Just finish her already" she says, rolling her eyes. The man inherits a disappointed expression and turns towards her.

"Fine." he says annoyed. Whimpering, you make one last attempt to creep away, freezing in your tracks when he directs his glance back down to you. Swiftly, he raises his arm and forms a ball of light in his hand, this time a bright white. Closing your eyes, you feel an involuntary scream leave you.

"Help!" All of a sudden, you hear an earsplitting crashing sound from behind you. Shards of glass fly across the room, clinking as they hit the floor.

Hearing another loud smack, you open your eyes wide and glance around hurriedly. To your surprise, you see the raven-haired youth lying back up on the floor. His blonde twin stands a few feet to his right, eyes wide in surprise. Following her gaze, your eyes widen as well when they fall upon the form of a tall, purple haired boy...

That's it!! x3 By the way I don't own DBZ or NE characters in it… unless I make an OC, then it's mine! But sides that, I got nothin' so no sue me!!

Next Chapter Comin' Soon, An rememeber, All credit goes to "icypinkpop" k? Alright! THNX4URmin, DarkLozFanUberest!!


	2. Capsule Corps

Second Chapter!! This belongs to "IcyPinkPop", not ME! (I won't mention this again!)

You stare uncontrollably at the newcomer, both confused and transfixed. The dark haired man slowly raises himself from the floor, crossing his arms and wearing an offended expression.

"Hey," he says sharply. "I'm in the middle of something." Although you can only see him from behind, you get the impression that the lavender-haired boy is severely angry. All of a sudden, he reaches his hand back towards you and looks over his shoulder.

"Get out of here!" he yells, strewn pieces of glass reflecting in his light blue eyes; Nodding, you hoist yourself up and begin to run for the exit. However, before you can reach it, the black-haired man appears in front of the door, blocking your path. You stagger back in fear, eyes locking with his.

"You're not going anywhere," he says smoothly, putting his hands on his hips. Trembling, you see him start to advance towards you when he suddenly jumps to the side. A small, yellow blast passes over the place where he had stood only moments ago, exploding when it makes contact with the wall.

Glancing over to your right, you see the other man standing with his arm outstretched, glaring at the dark-haired one.

"Stay away from her." he warns, narrowing his eyes. The man in the orange bandana smirks back at him.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" he asks, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. The other stands still for a moment before letting out a yell and rushing at him, drawing back his fist; The shorter man hovers quickly out of reach and you close your eyes, indescribably distressed and scared. A few seconds later, however, you hear a smashing noise followed by repeated crackling sounds.

Catching the scent of something very similar to smoke, you open your eyes and stare over to the other side of the room.

The purple haired man stands with his arm outstretched in front of him, his fist penetrating the chest of the black-haired boy's blond companion. Her eyes are wide and she stands completely still, pressed rigidly against the wall.

Looking closer, you see small yellow sparks flickering out of and around her like fireflies. You gasp in a mixture of shock and relief as the boy slowly pulls his fist away, letting her sparking body crash against the floor, making the clinking sound of metal on stone. The girl's partner hovers in the air above her, eyes wide in surprise.

"18?" he asks in a slightly confused tone, glancing down at her destroyer when no response is heard. "I must admit, you're stronger than I first anticipated." he muses, eyes directed coldly upon the other. "But I can assure you, Dr. Gero did not build us as equals. I am much stronger than 18 could ever dream of becoming." The larger man scowls and points up at him. "I don't care. I'm not scared of you," he says angrily, focusing only on the lethal creature floating above him. The dark-haired man smirks. "I suppose I'll have to deal with you later," he says, turning his back on the other. "I have...better things to do."

With that, the man turns and flies out the window and into the distance, leaving his smoking, crumpled twin lying on the floor in the corner. The purple haired man begins to run towards the window as well, but then suddenly stops and looks over towards you, eyes wide.

Unable to speak for paralysis and fright, you merely stare back at him, swaying slightly when the strong sensation of pain starts to return to your body. Slowly, the boy walks over to you and you draw back in nervousness, unsure of his intentions.

Although he had just saved you from a terrible event that most likely would have resulted in your death, you have grown to be slightly untrustworthy. He stops about a foot away and gives you a wan smile.

"Hey, it's okay." he says in a soft, charming voice. "I won't hurt you." Hesitantly, you straighten yourself up to your full height and stagger, a sharp pain shooting through your leg. Feeling your body begin to fall forward, you squint your eyes in anticipation of hitting the floor when you feel something curled around you. Slowly opening your eyes, you breathe in sharply when you see the man holding you up, his strong arms surrounding you.

"It's okay. I've got you," he says quietly, looking worried, "You can't walk, can you?" Biting your lip, you shrug.

"I-I dunno." you sputter, noticing how strange your voice sounds. The man nods and lets you go. "I can take you back to my place if you want." he says. "You could get some sleep. Food too. You look like you need it." Sighing in relief, you nod tiredly.

"That'd be great," you say weakly, attempting to take another step forward. You feel the pain enter your leg again and you grab on instinctively to the boy's shoulder, steadying yourself. The man blinks down at you.

"Looks like I'll have to carry you, Miss. I mean, if that's okay." The wary, suspicious feeling flares up in you again, but is quickly extinguished when you look up into his eyes.

He seemed so honest, so trustable. And you know perfectly well you wouldn't get far if you attempted to make the journey yourself. Slightly calmed, you nod. The young man smiles reassuringly and moves up behind you, placing one forearm behind your knees and the other behind your back.

 Cautiously, he pulls you up into his arms bridal style and walks over towards the demolished window. He looks down at you and smiles.

"Hold on." he instructs you, allowing you a moment to wrap your arms around his neck. Taking one last deep breath, you feel yourself rise in the air and begin to move slowly forward. Un-accustomed to this strange sensation of flight, you close your eyes tighter and whimper quietly. You feel his put his hand softly on the back of your head.

"Shh. it's okay. We'll be there soon," he whispers. The cool wind washes over your body and you begin to relax, feeling more safe and secure than you can ever remember.

After a few minutes, you feel the boy slow down and your position shifts, leading you to believe he is making his landing. Slowly, you open your eyes and glance around. A large, blue, dome-shaped building stands in front of you, red letters on the roof reading 'Capsule Corporation'. Confused, you look up at the man.

"Home sweet home." he says, looking over at it. "Let's get you inside." Feeling your eyes drift shut in exhaustion, you feel yourself begin to move forward. You hear the sound of an automatic door opening, and the patter of the boy's footsteps on the carpet below you. Aware that you are beginning to lose consciousness, you barely hear a high voice shout "Trunks!" before your world goes dark...


	3. Meeting the Mrs

Third Chapter!!

Slowly, you begin to feel your senses coming back into focus. After a few moments, you slowly open your eyes. You are in a rather small room with blue carpet, lying on the bed against the wall farthest from the door. Yawning, you sit up and rest your head back on the headboard when you are suddenly aware of a strange feeling in your wrist. Looking down, you see that a white, gauzy material has been wrapped around it. Gradually, everything begins to come back to you. You remember the fight, the lavender haired man. Now you were in his house. You had to be, right? You begin to lay back down again when you hear footsteps clicking down the hallway outside your room. A tall, blue-haired woman soon comes into view, staring in at you with her eyes wide. Before you can react, she turns to the right and yells. "Trunks! She's awake!" Startled and confused, you freeze in your position, unable to move. A moment later, the purple haired boy you remember from the night before comes into view next to her. He looks in at you and smiles, walking slowly towards the bed. Feeling much more relaxed, you look up at him, "Hey," he says, smiling. "You remember me, right?" Nodding, you smile back, almost forgetting about the other woman in the doorway. "Of course." you say quietly. The boy turns around and beckons her over. You eye her suspiciously as she begins to advance towards you, wearing a curious expression. She sits down on the bed and the boy does the same, both looking down at you. "Mom," he says. "I'd like you to meet, uh..." He looks down at you and widens his eyes. "I don't think you ever told me your name." Feeling your lips curve into a grin, you sit up. "I'm ****." you say, your gaze directed at both of them. The woman suddenly appears more at ease and smiles at you. "I'm Bulma," she says, nudging the boy. "And this is my son, T-" "Trunks." the boy interrupts, looking slightly embarrassed.

After looking at them both for a moment longer, you twist to the side and attempt to raise yourself out of bed. However, as soon as you begin to put pressure on your left leg, a sharp pain shoots through it and you quickly layback down, sighing. "Be careful. I don't think you should try to get up for awhile." Trunks warns glancing down at your leg. "You got hurt pretty badly. I'd stay in bed for the rest of the day if I were you." Nodding reluctantly, you see Bulma's eyes widen. "Hey, aren't you hungry?" she asks. Suddenly aware of the empty feeling in your stomach, you nod eagerly. "I'll make you something, okay?" she says, standing up. "Make sure she stays in bed, okay Trunks?" Trunks nods with an air of annoyance, and his mother walks quickly out of the room and down the hallway. Trunks rolls his eyes and gives a small smile. "Sorry about that. My mother's, well, like that." You smile back and shake your head. "It's okay. Mine is too. Well, was..." A wave of grief passes over you and the smile vanishes from your face, remembering the fact that you had no family left. Trunks looks concerned and kneels down on the floor so his eyes can look straight into yours. "Was?" he asks, biting his lip. "Don't tell me..." He is silenced by your unintentional sad expression. Taking a deep breath, you lock your eyes with his. "Those things, robots, or whatever they were," you say quietly, finding it hard to keep eye contact. "They, they took my family. I'm the only one left." You feel tears come to your eyes and you turn away, blinking them back. A moment later, you feel a hand on your shoulder. You turn around and see Trunks sitting next to you on the bed, staring directly at you. "I'm sorry, ****." he whispers, looking down. "That's horrible. Believe me, I know..." You raise an eyebrow. "How? What happened?" you ask, turning towards him. He takes his hand off of your shoulder and sighs. "They killed my father," he says slowly. "A lot of my friends too. My best friend, Gohan..." He looks back up at you. "You don't have to worry now, though. You're safe here. I won't let them get you too," he says strongly. You stare back into the light blue eyes, knowing deep inside that you could trust him.

After a few moments of silence you sit back on the headboard, flicking a strand of hair out of your face. Trunks sits back next to you. "Let's just forget about the depressing stuff, okay?" he asks, a concerned tone in his voice. "It doesn't do us any good. And besides, one of those androids is already done for." Your eyes widen as you remember the blonde-haired woman being pounded into the wall, sparking and clanking against the floor. Smiling gratefully, you nod. "Yeah. That was pretty impressive, how you took care of her like that." you say without thinking. A hint of pink enters his cheeks and he glances down, smiling slightly. "Well..." Before he can continue, you see Bulma enter the room, carrying a large tray. "Here you go ****!" she says cheerfully, plopping the tray down on your lap. You look down eagerly at the food, again feeling the ache of hunger in your stomach. "If you want anything else, just let me know." she says, grinning. With that, she walks out the door and down the hallway, out of sight. Immediately, you grab the sandwich on your plate and stuff it into your mouth, chewing ravenously. Trunks laughs and widens his eyes. "You ARE hungry." he says surprised. "I'll leave you to eat, then." He starts to sit up, but you swallow hurriedly and protest. "Please stay?" you ask, curious to learn more about him. Shrugging, Trunks sits back down. "Sure. Why?" he asks. The questions whir quickly around in your head, making you wonder where to start. "Um," you begin unsurely. "So, how old are you?" Trunks looks confused, but sits back against the headboard. "17." he says. "I'll be 18 in a couple weeks." You blink in surprise. "Really? I'm 16." you tell him. "My birthday's next month." Trunks smiles. "Wow. Weird." An awkward moment of silence ensues before you decide to ask another question. "Tell me about your friends." you request. "What were they like?" as soon as the question exits your mouth, you know you've made a mistake. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean..." You fall silent when Trunks smiles at you. "No, it's okay. I like to remember them." he says, making your fast heartbeat slow itself. "I should probably start with Goku."

Happily, Trunks begins to tell you about everyone he lost to the androids. He describes Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, his friend Gohan, and his father, Vegeta. You listen amazedly as he tells you about the saiyan race, only half-believing what you're hearing. Trunks seems to notice your skeptical look. "I know, it's kind of hard to imagine," he says. "But it's all true. Seriously." Staring into his trustworthy eyes, you can't help but believe him. He smiles back at you. "I'd prove it to you, but I don't think I'll have to. There's a good chance you'll get to meet all my saiyan friends pretty soon." Confused, you narrow your eyes. "Um, didn't you say they were dead?" you ask slowly, wondering what in the world he could be talking about. He grins. "They are. But with luck, we'll be able to bring them back." Your eyes widen and you stare at him. "Bring them back?" you ask. "How?" Trunks reaches under his jacket and slides his hand into an inside pocket, extracting a round object. Looking closer, you see that it is a yellow ball the size of an orange, with three red stars in the center. He holds it up to you and motions for you to take it. Carefully, you take it from him and turn it around in your hand. "Uh, what's this?" you ask, staring at it. Trunks smiles. "It's called a dragon ball." Watching the strange object gleam in the lamplight, you frown. "Dragon ball?" you ask. "What's that?".........


	4. Kami

Fourth Chapter!!

Trunks smiles and takes the ball back from you. "Dragon balls. There are seven of them. And if you collect all seven, you can make any wish you want and it'll come true. Pretty cool, huh?" Your eyes widen and you stare at the shining object, baffled. "Anything?" you ask in disbelief. He nods. "Well, pretty much. But you can't wish for anything outside of the power of the person who made the dragon balls." You cock your head in confusion. "Who made them?" you ask. Trunks turns the ball around in his hand and looks down at it. "Kami. The earth guardian." he says, still staring at the stars in its center. "But he needs to be alive, or the dragon balls won't work. Problem is," he says, looking back up at you. "He might not be alive for too much longer." You frown, perplexed, "Why not?" "Kami can't live if his other half isn't alive. You see Kami is part of one divided being. His other half, Piccolo, got caught by the androids a few days ago." Trunks blinks a bit sadly and looks down at the bed. "He escaped, but I don't know where he is now. All the dragon balls are still here, though, so I know he's alive. But if he dies, it'll be impossible to wish my friends back."

 Still blinking in surprise, you point to the dragon ball. "Is this the only one you have?" you ask. Trunks shakes his head. "Nope. Mom and I have collected four of them already." You look down at the ball, glistening saffron. "Where'd you get this one?" He smiles back. "As a matter of fact, I found it right before I met you. My mom invented this thing called a dragon radar, it shows you where each dragon ball is located." He swipes his hair to the side and continues. "I saw it on the radar and went out looking. Right after I found it, I heard you scream." You nod back, smiling slightly. "So, that means there's three left?" you ask. "Yep. I was gonna go looking for another today, but it's kinda late now." Glancing towards the clock on the table by the bed, you see that it is 2:00 AM. Exhaustion suddenly hitting you full force, you slump back on the bed, yawning. Trunks stands up and takes the empty tray off you. "You probably want to get some sleep, huh?" he asks. You breathe in deeply, nodding. "Yeah. I do." He walks towards the door and turns back to look at you. "There are some extra nightclothes in the dresser, I think." he says, giving a small smile. "Have a good night. See you in the morning." Smiling wanly back, you nod and wave as he turns away and walks out, closing the door behind him. Stretching, you slide off the bed and stumble over to the dresser. Pulling open a drawer, you see a neatly folded pair of blue pants and a black t-shirt. Tiredly shedding your own clothes and replacing them with the others, you sigh contentedly when you notice that they are extremely light and comfortable. Sliding back into bed, you extend your arm and turn off the lamp, barely able to tuck your arm back under the covers before falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning, you wake up suddenly to the scent of cooking bacon. Quickly jumping out of bed, you stand up and pull the band around your wrist around your hair, keeping it out of your face. You smile when you feel that the sharp pain in your arm has decreased to a dull one, although your leg remains a bit sore. Swinging the door open and making your way down the hall as fast as you can, you begin to hear the popping of sizzling grease and turn into the room on your right. Glancing around in what appears to be the kitchen, you see Bulma standing over the stove, a spatula in her hand. A moment later, she turns around to face you. "Morning ****." she says cheerfully. "I made some breakfast. Want some?" Eyeing a stack of pancakes on the counter hungrily, you nod. "Sit down. I'll get you a plate," she says, turning towards to cupboard. You walk over to the table and sit down, watching Bulma set the platter down in front of you. Staring ravenously at the bacon, sausage, eggs, and pancakes, you grab your fork and begin to scarf it down. Bulma sits down in the chair next to you and takes a sip of her coffee. "Is it ok? I'm not much of a cook," she laughs. You swallow and grin at her. "It's great, thanks." Suddenly, something pops into your mind. "Hey Bulma, where's Trunks?" you ask, taking another bite of sausage. She sets her cup down and looks at you. "He's out looking for survivors. He does that almost every day. I mean, you're the only person he's ever found, but he still insists on going all the time." She sighs and looks pensively up at the ceiling. "I get so worried about him sometimes." Swallowing, your thoughts travel over Bulma's words. Trunks must have a huge heart to be so concerned about everyone, to go out every day in hopes of saving one person's life. You smile, happy to know that at least one of those people was you. You are about to get up when you hear someone's footsteps pattering against the carpet, down the hall.

Looking down the hallway, you smile when you see Trunks walking towards you, unbuttoning his jacket. He smiles back and walks into the kitchen, waving at Bulma. "Hi mom. No one this time." he says. Bulma rolls her eyes and scoffs. "I'm not surprised. When are you going to understand that everyone has left this city?" she asks, taking another sip of coffee. Trunks shrugs. "I just wanna be sure." He directs his gaze towards you. "Hey ****. Sleep well?" You nod. "Yeah, thanks." you say, smiling. "Hey Trunks. Didn't you say you wanted to go looking for another dragon ball today?" He nods. "I was thinking about it. Why?" ""I'd like to come with you." you say excitedly, grinning at the anticipation of collecting all seven balls and meeting Trunks' friends. His eyes widen. "Um, you could. But are you sure you want to?" You nod eagerly. "Yeah! It sounds like fun. I-" You stop talking when you remember that Trunks would most likely be journeying by flight, something you're unable to do. You look down disappointedly. "I can't fly." Trunks grins. "That's okay. We could go another way." You look up confusedly. "You mean by car?" you ask. "It's like a helicopter, but it has more sitting space inside. That ok?" Your lips curl into a broad smile. "Awesome!" Trunks smiles back and gestures for you to follow. "C'mon, let's go." He turns around and begins to walk down the hallway, and you follow happily behind him...


	5. With the Bad comes Good

Fifth Chapter!!

Leading you down the hallway to an ancient-looking door, Trunks pulls it open and flips the light on. You step into what looks like an oversized carport, with glinting machinery parts strewn about the floor and resting on cluttered desks. A large, yellow craft resembling a helicopter stands in front of you. Trunks walks over to it and slides open the side door, gesturing for you to go inside. Excitedly, you step into the back and glance around. There is one seat in the front for the pilot behind some sort of steering device and masses of complicated buttons, and two chairs in the back. Trunks presses a button on the wall of the craft and the ceiling of the carport slides away, revealing the open sky. He shuts the door and sits down in the front seat, clicking a few buttons. Slowly, you hear the blades above you begin to spin, and you hover up into the air. Once you are so far up that you can see the tops of the trees below, Trunks rotates a lever and the machine begins to move forward. Looking out of the window, you jump back in surprise when it begins to go down. You glance over at Trunks and notice he is pressing a small green button. "Thought you'd want some fresh air," he says, and you nod back. Taking a deep breath, you turn back towards the window. A moment later, you see Trunks walking over to you. He sits next to you and looks out of the window as well. "Uh, shouldn't you be driving this thing?" you ask tentatively. Trunks smiles and points toward the steering device, "It's on autopilot. We're going slow enough," he says. Nodding, you turn back towards the window.

A moment later, you feel something soft brush your arm. Turning around, you see Trunks' head by your shoulder as he cranes to see over you. His hair falls around his face and gently touches the side of your neck, tickling slightly. Trunks doesn't seem to notice, continuing to stare down at the earth below. For one strange moment, you feel your lips curve into a smile and a warm sensation enters your cheeks. A few seconds later, however, Trunks pulls back. "Sorry." he says, laughing slightly and looking down. Coming back to your senses, you shrug. "That's ok. I-" Your statement is cut off when you feel the craft swing violently to the side, making you lose your balance and fall back on the floor. The machine slowly begins to steady itself and Trunks, looking surprised, runs over to the front seat. After readjusting a couple levers, he looks out the window and his eyes widen in fear. You sit back up on the seat and glance out the window next to you. "Trunks, what was-" "Stay back!" he yells seriously, rushing to the back and leaning over the backseat, rummaging around in the objects behind it. "What's wrong? What happened?" you ask, becoming more nervous with every moment. Suddenly, Trunks extracts a long sheath from behind the chairs, fastening the strap over his chest and running over to the door. "Don't move!" he instructs, looking back. Frightened you curl back in your seat. Trunks presses the button beside the door and it sides open, rushing currents of air entering the craft and making your loose clothing flap about. Looking out the open door, you choke back a scream when you see a being hovering directly outside. It is a tall, green, creature with dark spots covering its arms and legs. A long tail swoops from behind it's back down beside it, a large, sharp pointed object on the end. Its grotesque, creased face is twisted into a smirk; it's orange eyes unwavering in the whooshing torrent of wind. Trunks steps back with his left foot and puts his right arm over his shoulder, grabbing hold of the handle emerging from the sheath.

"Cell!" he yells, glaring at the creature. It crosses its arms and emits a low, scratchy chuckle, narrowing its eyes. "Trunks, we meet again," it says menacingly. "I can see your power level has raised significantly since our last encounter. It was a good idea for me to drop by, I will very much enjoy draining you of your energy." Confused and terrorized, you crawl back behind the seat and crouch down, squinting your eyes shut. What was this thing? What did it want? Growling, you hear Trunks take a step forward. "Take my energy? I don't think so. You better get out of here right now!" Again, you hear the creature's voice. "Oh, am I interrupting something? How rude of me. But I'm afraid I have some things I need to take care of." A moment later, you hear the sound of metal scraping against metal and the sound of Trunks yelling. Squinting your eyes more tightly shut, you hear a crashing noise followed by numerous bangs. Trunks yelps again and you hear one more smashing sound before the door slides shut, the air torrent settling. Afraid and worried, you slowly stand up and peer over the chair, looking towards the door. Trunks is standing beside it with a long sword in his right hand, breathing heavily and holding his right arm. Upon seeing you, he stumbles over and leans against the chair. "Are you okay?" he asks, pushing the sword back into its sheath and wiping his brow. Looking down at his arm, you see a large hole in his jacket surrounding an open wound, blood soaking through the fabric and staining his hand. Sliding out from behind the chair, you look at him in a mixture of fear and worry. "I'm fine, but I should be asking you." you say, watching the blood seep through the jacket. Trunks grunts and attempts a smile. "Don't worry. I'm ok. Can you open the glove compartment? There's a first aid kit in there." Surprised at his calmness, you rush over to the glove compartment and pop it open. Spotting a small white box, you grab it and run back over to Trunks. He sits down on the floor and you do the same, watching him peel off his blood-soaked jacket and throw it to the side. He opens the box and tries to grab a roll of gauze from it, but you put your hand on his, stopping him. "Let me do it," you say concernedly, all questions fading from your mind as you stared into the open wound. "You don't want to hurt yourself even more." Trunks nods and slowly raises his arm, allowing you to wrap the gauze around it.

Once you manage to staunch the bleeding and get the wound fully covered, you place the gauze back in the box. "Thanks." Trunks says, raising himself and sitting back down on the chair. You sit next to him and look directly up into his eyes, worried and confused. "Trunks, what was that?" you ask in a quiet voice. He looks out the window and stares, unblinking, out at the open sky. "Cell." he says, narrowing his eyes. "He's another android, like 17 and 18. But he takes energy from other people and uses it to strengthen himself." Your eyes widen and you stare at him, horrified. "Takes energy?" you ask in disbelief. Trunks nods. "Yeah. That's what that tail is for, sucking the life out of people. He almost got me just now, but I got away." He gestures to his injured arm and turns his gaze towards you. "Cell is trying to absorb androids 17 and 18 so he can reach his complete form. By taking their energy, he could become the strongest being in the universe." Perplexed, you frown. "But you killed 18, right?" you ask. Trunks smirks back at you. "Yeah. But Cell doesn't seem to know that." Smiling in relief, you nod back. "Cell won't be able to become complete without her," he continues. "But he can still get 17, and I don't think I'll be able to beat him if he does. We're not completely out of this yet." Sighing, Trunks stands up and walks over to the front seat, adjusting the steering device and pressing an orange button. "What are you doing?" you ask, looking over at him. "We're landing." he replies facing away from you. "I need to take a breather." Nodding, you begin to turn your head away when a strange feeling overcomes you. Your eyes continue to stare at him, unblinking and still. A few seconds later, you tear your gaze away and look down at your hands. 'What has gotten into me?' you think, brushing some hair away from your face. 'Why can't I look away?' Suddenly, you feel the craft jerk forward and Trunks turns around. "We've landed," he says, pushing the button as the door slides open. Sighing in exhaustion, you stand up and walk outside. Trunks follows, closing the door behind him. The area around you is heavily wooded, with many trees and tall, green grass. Spotting a large tree, you walk over to it and sit down in the shade, feeling the cool breeze blow softly over you. Putting your hand on the ground behind you, you quickly draw it back when you feel something smooth and cool brush against it. Turning around, you see the object that touched you and gasp in surprise. "Hey Trunks!" you exclaim happily, smiling. He turns around and walks towards you, eyes wide. "What is it?" Grinning, you pick up the object and pull it out from behind you...........


	6. Two more!

Sixth Chapter!!

Grinning and holding it out in front of you so that Trunks can see it, you laugh a little when his eyes widen. "The six-star ball." he says quietly in surprise. "My dragon radar kept beeping before we landed, but I must've turned it off or something." Turning the ball around in your hand, you stare at your own reflection on the surface. Only two more to go, you think. Then Trunks would be able to see his friends again. The thought makes you feel a spike of happiness inside and you extend your hand toward him, wanting him to take it. Slowly, he reaches out and grabs it from you, your hands brushing against his. A triumphant smile appears upon his face and he turns toward the helicopter. "We'd better get back." he says, walking towards the craft. "Mom'll be excited to see this!" Nodding, you raise yourself from your sitting position and follow him inside. Still staring happily at the dragon ball, Trunks closes the door, presses a button next to the steering device, and you raise into the air. Once the machine is stable and heading in the right direction, Trunks sets it on autopilot and makes his way to the back, plopping down in the chair next to you. "So, excited about getting to meet everyone once we collect all the dragon balls?" he asks, smiling at you. You nod. "Yeah. Especially Vegeta. He sounds like quite the guy." Trunks chuckles and leans back in his seat. "He is. My father's really impressive when it comes to fighting. He's a little, er, cranky, though. It might take him a little while to adjust to you." You raise your eyebrows and cross your legs. "Really? That doesn't sound like you at all." Trunks looks down for a moment and nods. "I know. We're similar in strength, but really different otherwise." At this, he stands up and walks over to the front seat. Pressing a few buttons, he turns back towards you and walks over to the door, sliding it open. "We're landing." he says, the machine tilting slightly when it comes in contact with the ground. Standing up, you step out of the helicopter and shut the door behind you.

When you hear the door close, you realize that the surface feels strange and turn around in confusion. To your surprise, you notice a large dent in its side. Scratches that peel through the yellow paint are apparent on the left side of the door. From behind you, you hear Trunks laugh. "I hope mom doesn't get too upset over that." he says sheepishly. Completely perplexed, you turn towards him. "Trunks, how did this happen?" you ask, furrowing your brow. Trunks looks confused and turns his head to the side. "When Cell ran into us, remember?" he asks. "Didn't you notice it when we landed in that spot where you found the ball?" Wondering how in the world you could have missed such a thing, you shrug. "I guess not." Shrugging, Trunks turns away and begins to walk towards the front door of CC. Following, you glance back towards the door of the craft. 'Why didn't I see that?' you wonder. 'What had me so distracted?' Reaching the door alongside Trunks, he pushes it open and you walk inside. Almost immediately, Bulma comes running frantically towards you from the kitchen, eyes wide. "Trunks! Where were you? Why were you gone so long?" she shrieks nervously. Trunks blushes slightly and puts his hands in his pockets, looking down. "It's ok, mom. I'm fine. I just-" "You're bleeding!" Bulma interrupts startled, pointing down at the gauze bandage on his upper arm. "I'm fine, don't worry about it," he says reassuringly. "I'll explain everything later, ok?" Nodding reluctantly, Bulma looks over towards you. "You're okay, right ****?" she asks concernedly. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." you tell her. "As a matter of fact, we're great. Trunks show Bulma what we found." His expression brightening like a light, he reaches swiftly into his pocket and pulls out the dragon ball. Bulma's worried expression turns to one of joy and she clasps her hands together. "Wow! The six star ball!" she exclaims, reaching over and taking it from him. "Great! I'll put it with the others." Nodding, Trunks gives his mother a wave. "Thanks mom. I'll see you later, okay?" Nodding quickly, Bulma grins back and runs excitedly out of the room.

Looking down the hallway, you turn and begin to walk towards your room. Once you reach the door and turn the knob, you notice that Trunks has followed you. Pulling open the door, you step inside and crash down on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Trunks walks up to the bed and sits down on the side, smiling at you. "Mind if I hang out in here?" he asks. "To be honest, I'd like to get away from my mother for a little while." Laughing slightly, you nod. "Sure. No problem." "Thanks." After looking at each other for a moment, you turn away and start tapping your fingers against each other bored. Somehow, your right hand eventually forms into a fist, and you begin to pat it down into the palm of your hand, hardly realizing what your doing. Suddenly, you are jolted out of your trance by Trunks' voice. "Rock paper scissors?" Blinking confusedly, you stare back at him. "What?" "Your hand." he says, pointing at your fist in your palm. "Wanna play?" Glad for an excuse to break the silence, you shrug. "Why not?" Smiling, Trunks places his fist in the palm of his hand and grins up at you. "Okay, ready?" You nod. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" You both outstretch your hands, yours in a fist, his extended flat. "Paper beats rock," he laughs, reaching towards you and covering your hand with his. For a moment, you stare down at the strong hand in awe, unknowing as to why you couldn't look away, but unable to tear your hand away from his soft touch. You look up at his face and into his eyes and see that he is looking right back, mouth slightly open and blue eyes wide. After a few seconds, you both pull away at the same time and you look down at the bedspread, feeling the blood rush to your cheeks. Trunks suddenly stands up and points down the hall. "Hey, do you want a shower?" he asks, still looking you straight in the face. "You haven't had one since you got here." Imagining how the hot water would feel on your skin, you nod eagerly. "That'd be great. Where's the bathroom?" Trunks gestures for you to follow and begins to walk down the hallway. Taking a deep breath, you stand up and walk behind him. "The shower next to your room in broken." he tells you, turning a corner. "Mom hasn't fixed it yet. You'll have to use my shower. Sorry." You smile back gratefully. "I don't mind. That's perfect." Leading you into a room that looks very much like your own, Trunks walks over to a door on the far side and points at it. "Here it is. There's shampoo and everything, you'll need, I think." Nodding, you walk towards the door and turn the knob. "Thanks, Trunks." you say, throwing him a smile. "See you soon." Trunks nods and smiles back, glancing down at the floor. Pulling the door closed, you look around in surprise when you notice how large the bathroom is. A large, full-length mirror is attached to the wall on your left, and the shower itself appears to have a lot of space. Shedding your clothes, you step into the shower and turn the knob, sighing in happiness when the warm water comes in contact with your skin. After sorting through a few bottles of shampoo, you grab a tall white one and squeeze out a few drops of pearly fluid into your palm. Once you begin to lather it into your hair, you notice that it has a light, citrus scent. Exhaling slowly as you feel your body being cleansed, you spend a few more minutes standing in the warm water before turning down the knob and shutting it off. Wrapping yourself in a green towel folded on the counter by the sink, you open a drawer and see a hairdryer resting in the bottom. Plugging it in, you find a comb as well and begin to do your hair. Although you're not usually one for primping, you decide to take advantage of what's available. Once your hair is finished and you're completely dry, you re-wrap your towel around yourself and turn the doorknob, stepping out of the bathroom. To your surprise, you see Trunks standing over the side of the bed, holding something in his hands...


	7. Baby Pictures! XDD

Seventh Chapter!!

Seeing you, Trunks sets the object on the bed and smiles. "I left you some clothes." he says, pointing to the folded heap of cloth. "They're mom's, but I think they'll fit." Nodding, you smile back. "Thanks." With a last nod, Trunks turns away and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. You pick up a few assorted articles from the pile on the bed and begin to look through them. Mostly plain tee shirts and jeans, nothing very interesting catches your eye, but they appear similar to your size. Throwing your towel aside, you extract a black shirt and pair of ripped jeans from the pile and slide them on. You run a brush through your hair one last time before lying back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in deep thought. Hm, you think. Trunks was partly human, and he was able to fly. Does that mean that you could learn to as well? You sigh, imagining how amazing it would feel to go sweeping effortlessly through the sky. Sitting up and pulling the slightly baggy pants back up to your waist, you pull open the door and walk out into the hall, determined to find Trunks and ask him if this was possible. Walking through the sitting room and into the kitchen, you see Bulma bending over the sink, washing a pile of dishes. "Hey Bulma," you greet her, leaning against the counter. "Hi ****." she says, not looking up from her work. "Need anything?" You brush a strand of hair out of your face. "Well, actually I was looking for Trunks." you say, glancing around. "Do you have any idea where he might be?" Bulma finishes with the dishes and turns around to face you. "I think he went out somewhere," she says, looking out of a window. "I saw him flying off a while ago. Not sure where he went, though. Sorry." You shrug. "That's okay." There is a silent moment before you decide to change the subject. "Hey, you look tired. Been working hard?" Eyelids drooping, Bulma nods. "Yeah. I've been doing housework all day. There's still more to do, too." Feeling sympathetic and needing for something to do, you walk over to her. "I can give you some help if you want." you offer, smiling. Bulma's face lights up and she grins back. "Oh, would you? I'd really appreciate it." Nodding, she smiles and begins to walk down the other hallway. "Follow me," she says, turning around and beckoning. Standing up straight and trailing behind her, you stop when she gets to a closed door near the end of the hallway. Turning the knob and pulling it open, she walks into the room. Although it is reasonably large, the space is packed tightly with desks, computers, and stacks of loose paperwork. A few wilting houseplants sit ignored in the corners. Sighing and sitting down at the desk closest, Bulma pulls out a stack of files from a drawer and hands them to you. "I need these sorted by date," she says, placing a pen on top of the stack. "And cross out the titles on the inner sides of the files." Nearly buckling under the weight, you nod and set the stack down on another desk, wondering what kind of mess you had just gotten yourself into.

Muffling a sigh, you sit down and begin to sort through the files. Most of them seem to contain types of blueprints and design tutorials, featuring complicated-looking machinery. Because you have never had any profound interest in this type of thing, the work goes remarkably slowly, only beginning to speed up when Bulma starts up a conversation. "So, ****." she says, looking up from her mound of paperwork. "Would you like to become a permanent guest here?" You look over in a mix of surprise and relief. It was very generous of her to allow you to remain at CC, but part of you had already assumed that you would stay; it already felt so much like home. Nodding happily, you look over at her. "Wow, Bulma, that'd be awesome." you say. She lets outs a small laugh and swivels her chair around. "Oh, don't thank me." she asks, waving her hand. "It was Trunks' idea." You cock an eyebrow. "Trunks?" "Yes. He told me you didn't have anywhere to go and asked if you could stay. Of course I told him you could." Smiling, you turn back to the dreaded stack of papers. "I'll have to remember to thank him, then," you say quietly, reaching for a file farther away from you on the desk. You feel your fingers touch something cool and soft and you pick up the file, looking underneath it. A small, leather-bound photo album lays back side up on the desk, shining dully in the light. Picking up the strange object, your eyes widen when you notice the small photo embedded in the front cover. A young woman with blue hair leans against a tree, the deep azure of the sky behind her nearly matching her eyes. She holds in her arms a small baby with a tuft of lavender hair upon its head. Staring at the picture, you turn back towards Bulma. "Hey Bulma, is this you?" you ask, pointing at the woman in the picture. Turning around and seeing the photo album, she lets out a high giggle. "Yes, that's me," she says, looking slightly embarrassed. Glancing down at the picture again, you gasp quietly when you begin to focus more closely on the infant in her arms. "Is-is this Trunks?" you ask in surprise. Bulma laughs again and begins to walk over to you. "Sure is. Wasn't he cute?" Bending down to look at the album, she opens it and flips to the first page. Your eyes widen as they travel over numerous pictures of Trunks as a baby and small child, bright eyed and happy-looking. Bulma begins to turn the page as your eye catches a particular photo and you stop her, turning back the page. In the background of this picture there is a short, muscular man with black hair leaning against what appears to be a wall. His arms are crossed and he wears a dark-blue body suit with white gloves and boots, an annoyed scowl on his face. Something about his features reminds you slightly of Trunks, and a sudden realization enters your mind. "Is that Vegeta?" you ask, pointing to the man. Bulma nods a bit sadly. "Yes, that's him. How'd you know?" "Trunks told me a little about him." you reply, still staring at the picture. "He looks like his father." Bulma opens her mouth to say something when you hear a voice from behind you.

Swiveling around in your chair, you see Trunks standing in the doorway, eyes wide. "Aw, mom!" he says, a blush creeping into his cheeks. "Don't tell me those are baby pictures!" Unable to restrain yourself, you let out a laugh as Bulma snaps the book closed and walks over to him. "Calm down, sweetie. They're only pictures." she says, smiling. Glancing briefly (Me: Haha, briefly, Brief, get it? *gets hit with vegetables for telling such a bad joke*) towards you before staring back at his mother, Trunks sighs and puts his hands in his pockets. Bulma walks back to you and looks at the stack of files. "Wow, you've done a lot of work, ****." she says happily. "You can stop now, I'll take care of the rest. Thanks for helping." Secretly happy to get out of the cramped office, you smile and stand up. "No problem, Bulma. I'll see you later." Waving, you turn towards the doorway and walk out into the hall, passing still- silent Trunks on the way. Once you reach the sitting room, you sit down in a comfy green chair and wave to Trunks. "Come on," you say, beckoning. "I have to ask you something." Walking into the room and sitting down on the couch, he looks towards you. "What is it?" he asks, appearing a bit relieved that you hadn't brought up the pictures. "Do you have to be a saiyan to fly?" you ask, strongly hoping that being of this race isn't a prerequisite. He shakes his head. "No. My friend Krillin was human, and he could fly." Excited, you lean towards him. "Wow, really? Could you teach me to fly, then?" Trunks nods and gives you a smile. "Sure. It might take awhile for you to learn, though, since you've never done it before. But I think you could do it." Grinning, you stand up. "Awesome! Could we start now?" Trunks glances towards the window, "It's a little late, don't you think?" Looking at the clock as well, you see that it reads 9:15 PM. Laughing at your own eagerness, you nod. "Yeah, I guess it is." you reply, standing up. "I could make you some food if you want." Trunks offers, raising himself and standing in front of you. "I'm not that great of a cook, but I can probably dig something up." Feeling the hunger you had forgotten in your previous excitement return, you nod quickly. "Sounds great." Smiling, Trunks begins to walk down the hallway towards the kitchen. "You can stay there, I'll bring your food when it's done." he calls back. He then turns the corner and disappears from sight, leaving you alone in the living room...........


	8. Learning To Fly

Eighth Chapter!!

Once he disappears from view, you lie down on the sofa and stare up at the ceiling, listening to the clanking of pots and pans echoing from down the hall. I wonder what he's making for me, you think. A moment later, a delicious scent wafts into the room and you inhale it hungrily, feeling your stomach tighten. After what seems like an eternity, you spot Trunks walking down the hall towards you. He reaches the room and sits down on the couch next to you, handing you a plate of food and a fork. Before you can clearly become aware of what is on your dish, you stick your fork in it and tear off a piece, stuffing it into your mouth. Your eyes widen when the taste begins to spread throughout your mouth, the salty of flavor of egg, ham, and cheese. Swallowing in delight, you turn your gaze over to Trunks. "This stuff's amazing!" you compliment him, grinning. "What is it?" Wearing a pleased expression, Trunks looks back at you. "It's an omelet," he says, smiling slightly. "I'm better at making breakfast food than anything else, I guess." Nodding, you look back at your plate and begin to eat again. Once you finish the delicious meal, you yawn tiredly and stand up. "I think I'm gonna go to bed, Trunks. Thanks again for the food." you say, smiling exhaustedly. Nodding, Trunks raises himself from the sofa as well and picks up the plate. "No problem. Hope you sleep well, ****." Blinking and nodding back, you turn around and begin to walk back down the hall. On a whim, you turn back around and look back towards the sitting room. Trunks is no longer there. Feeling an odd twinge of disappointment, you pull open the door and walk into your room. Stripping of your normal clothing and changing into the shirt and loose pants that have now become nightclothes, you fill a plastic cup with water from the tap and crawl lazily into bed, setting the cup on the dresser to your left. Turning off the lamplight and curling up under the fluffy comforter, hardly a minute passes before you fall into a deep sleep.

The next morning, you regain consciousness almost immediately. Glancing at the clock and observing that it is 8:18 AM, you slide quickly out of bed and hop to the dresser. Pulling out some comfortable-looking jeans and a loose t-shirt, you slide them on and wash your face before pulling the door open and skidding out into the hallway. Hearing the familiar bustle of utensils loudening as you approach the kitchen, you lick your lips hungrily and make your way to the kitchen door. Pushing it open, you notice Bulma leaning against the counter, untying her apron. Directing your gaze to her left, you observe a messy-haired Trunks sitting at the table, stuffing sausages into his mouth with amazing speed. Noticing you, the two look up from their current activities and grin. "Hi ****. Want some breakfast? I saved some for you." Nodding in appreciation, you turn to Trunks, who has now cleared his plate and leans back contentedly in his chair. "Sleep well?" he asks, yawning. You blink. "Yeah, thanks. When'd you get up?" "About an hour ago." he says, brushing a lavender strand away from his face. "Sorry, I'm not totally awake yet." You laugh, looking at his tousled hair and creased t-shirt as Bulma sets a plate of food down in front of you. "No sweat. Neither am I," you tell him, digging into the steaming eggs on your dish. The next minute passes in silence as you scarf down the food, gulping down orange juice between bites. Once you finish, you lean back in your chair and look over at Trunks. "So, do you think you could start teaching me to fly today?" you ask, trying to hide the hopeful eagerness in your voice. Trunks grins back. "Sure. If you don't mind getting wet." Confused, your eyes travel over to the open window and you immediately notice the dark clouds that blanket the sky, large water droplets pattering slowly against the glass. You shrug. "It seems pretty light. And I don't mind if you don't." "Fine with me." Trunks says, standing up. "C'mon, we'll have more time if we start early." Eyes widening in anticipation, you raise yourself and follow him to the back door. Sliding it open, Trunks walks outside and you trail behind him. You take a moment to look around the backyard and notice that it is mostly an open field of grass, bordered in places by lush, green trees.

Glancing over to Trunks, you notice him look back at you. "So, ready to start?" he asks, grinning when you nod your head quickly. "Ok, so flying is all dependent on energy." he explains, stretching his arms out in front of him. "To get off the ground, you have to focus all of your energy into your arms and push it under yourself. If you do it right, you'll lift off the ground." He lowers his arms so that his palms face the ground and levitates effortlessly off the ground. "See? Once you get more experienced, you'll be able to channel the energy directly into your legs, but it's easier to use your arms for now. Ready to try?" "Sure." you say, watching him hover back down to earth. "Ok, so put your arms out in front of you." he instructs, walking up next to you and observing your pose. Slowly, you stretch your arms out in front of you, bending your knees slightly. A moment later, you feel his hands on your upper arms, pushing them down slightly. "Lower them a little." he says removing his hands. "Good. Now try to channel your energy into the palms of your hands." Staring out in front of you, you attempt to focus your energy, letting it flow into your forearms and hands. I hope I'm doing this right, you think. Sensing your hesitation, Trunks gives you a reassuring smile. "It's okay, I can sense the energy. You're doing fine." Blinking rapidly as a drop of waterfalls into your left eye, you continue to press your energy into your hands. A few seconds later, Trunks walks over to your other side. "Okay, I think you're ready." he says, looking at your hands. "Now lower your arms so that your hands face the ground." Nodding, you let your arms fall a bit lower. "Good." Trunks says. "Now push the energy towards the ground and push off with your feet." Nervous, you look over to him. "What if I fall?" you ask, slightly afraid. "No problem. I'll catch you." he says, a small smile on his face. "Go ahead and try." Hoping that you don't come out of this looking like an idiot, you close your eyes and focus your energy towards the ground, bending your knees and jumping a few inches into the air. Expecting to come in contact with the earth a moment later, your eyes snap open in surprise when you can feel nothing but air below you. Looking around in shock, you notice that you are hovering about three feet off the ground. Keeping your arms pressed down in front of you in fear of falling, you feel an excited smile spread across your face. "Wow!" you exclaim, looking down at Trunks. "This is awesome!" Wide eyed, the demi-saiyan looks up at you. "Wow, on your first try." he says in awe. "Amazing." Raising your arms in order to wipe a trickle of rainwater off of your face, you cringe as you feel your body begin to plummet downwards. Stretching your legs out straight, you feel your feet hit the ground and you begin to fall backwards. Squinting your eyes shut, you suddenly feel something on your lower back, holding you up. Eyes snapping open, you see Trunks' smiling face inches away from yours, his arm behind your back. "Thanks." you say warmly, standing up on your own and regaining your balance. Trunks smiles back. "I said I'd catch you, didn't I?" Watching you nod, he walks over to your side and faces you. "Ready to try again?" .................


	9. Green

Ninth Chapter!! (Oh My Gods! Do NOT Go To The Gobi Desert!!! There Are _DEATH WORMS_ There!! It was on Lost Videos, and there are 'supposedly' *shudder* Skin Walkers in Utah and other Reservation states and otherwise)

[Fast Forward to two weeks later] You sigh with exhaustion and get back down into the proper flying position, palms facing out in front of you and knees bent. Ever since you had begun to learn how to fly, it had seemed an impossible feat. Apparently your first try had been either beginner's luck or a fluke, because ever since you had been unable to raise yourself from the earth for more than a few seconds. For two tiring weeks you had been working on this, trying to teach yourself what seemed impossible. Trunks helped you when he had time, but because he often went out to search the city for survivors, it was difficult to find an ideal time of day when you were both able to train together. Over the last few days it had gotten especially frustrating, as you had thought that over time the process would become increasingly easy. It now appeared that you had been wrong. Growling in annoyance when another futile attempt leaves you tumbling to the ground, you stay in a lopsided sitting position for a moment and take a minute to relax, directing your gaze to the evening sky above. Staring up drowsily at the twinkling stars, you begin to raise yourself reluctantly when a loud whooshing noise makes you turn to your right, inhaling sharply in surprise. Suddenly, you see a tall figure standing in front of you, breathing heavily and staring down at your face. In a mixture of shock and horror, you stare up at the being.

The figure wears a wrapped turban-like article on his head, with a blue Gi covering his body and a long white cape flapping in the breeze behind him. In the darkness you find it hard to focus in on the features of his face, but you can see that his skin is a dark color, long white fingernails shining in the starlight at the end of each hand. Frightened out of your mind, you take a step back and look over your shoulder, trying to assess how far you are from the CC door and wondering if you would be able to make a run for it. Glancing fearfully back at the person, you take another step back and slowly meet it's eyes with yours, gulping audibly. "Who-who are you?" you ask shakily, looking back over your shoulder. Before you hear the other respond, the door swings open and Trunks runs out, rushing towards the figure. "Piccolo!" he says in a tone of both relief and amazement. He reaches you and the figure turns towards him, nodding in his direction. "I think it would be best for me to get inside, Trunks." it says in a deep voice. "I just had another close call. I might get found if I stay out here." Nodding, Trunks gestures for him to follow. Piccolo does so, and you trail a few feet behind him, still untrustworthy of the stranger. Once inside, Trunks flips on the light and you gaze in awe at the newcomer, discovering details in his appearance that you were unable to in the dark outside. His skin is lined and a mossy green color, pink muscles flexing as he raises his arm to remove the turban. In doing so, you observe two short antennae sprouting from his forehead. Unnerved but slightly less fearful, Trunks turns towards you and puts his hand on your shoulder. "Sorry ****, this is Piccolo. I told you about him, right? The dragon balls?" Memory flooding back to you in an instant, you nod and turn your gaze to the standing name. Piccolo looks over to Trunks and gives a rather feral-looking smile, canines glinting in the light. "Who's this, Trunks?" he asks, looking back at you. "A survivor" Trunks replies, pulling down a rolled-up sleeve of his jacket. "I saved her from the androids a few weeks ago. She's living with me and mom now." "Uh, I'm ****." you say hesitantly, the situation seeming strange but exciting at the same time.

Piccolo nods at you and makes his way over to the couch, sitting down on a cushion and putting his hand to his forehead wearily. Trunks walks over and sits down next to him, looking concernedly into his face. "Where've you been this whole time, Piccolo?" he asks, leaning back on the sofa. "Near one of the rivers by Goku's old place." he replies, taking a deep breath. "Android 17 spotted me a few hours ago and tried to block me in, but I got away. 18 wasn't with him, though." A second later, Trunks' lips curve into a half-smile that Piccolo notices, smirking back. "I take it you had something to do with that?" he asks. "Yeah, I took care of her. I was going for 17, but got her instead." Piccolo blinks and nudges him slightly. "Great. Now we won't have to worry about Cell reaching his complete form." At this moment, you walk slowly over and sit down on the couch next to Trunks, listening eagerly. Piccolo leans forward and looks back at Trunks, his face taking on a serious expression. "Listen. I don't think I can hold out much longer, Trunks. If I run into Cell I'm done for. How many dragon balls have you collected?" "Five so far." Trunks replies, looking at his companion, "**** and I found the last one a couple weeks ago." "Great job, kid." Piccolo smiles appreciatively. "We might be able to pull this off after all." Trunks nods. "It'll be great to have Goku back. My father, too..." He drifts off into a daze for a moment before coming back to reality, looking startled. "Piccolo, you could stay here if you want." he says, sounding nervous. "You won't have to worry about Cell. We could keep you safe until we can wish Goku back." Piccolo shakes his head and stands up. "No, it's better for me to be alone. There's less of a chance of both of us getting hurt. Besides, Trunks, we both know Cell could attack me here just as easily as if I were somewhere else." Nodding slowly, Trunks sighs and stands up next to him. "You're leaving then?" he asks. "Right now?" Piccolo nods back. "Yes. It's best for me to find a new place to stay before it gets light out. Don't worry about me I'll be fine. Just look out for yourself. And the girl here." Hearing his reference to you, you blink in surprise and confusion as Trunks lets out a sigh. "Ok. I'll see you out then."

Turning around, the namekian places his hand on Trunks' shoulder. "I'll see myself out, don't worry. Thank you, Trunks. Hopefully we'll meet again soon." "We will, Piccolo." Trunks replies softly, obviously aware that it was very possibly the last time he would ever see his friend. "Thank you." Upon hearing this, Piccolo turns around and pulls open the backyard door, walking outside and shutting it swiftly behind him. Trunks sits down again and stares at the floor pensively, his blue eyes half-lidded and dreary. Almost unaware of what you are doing, you turn to the side and wrap your arms around him, slowly pulling him into a reassuring hug. Trunks is still for a moment before embracing you back, turning his head so that you cannot see the tears running down his cheeks. Feeling a sharp pang of hurt and sadness for Trunks, you continue to hold him close, trying to will away the tears that begin to well up in your own eyes. You had been here for such a short time, but you already knew so much. You understood how close Trunks had come to losing all of his friends and family to those ruthless killing machines, and it hurt you to think that Trunks might have to go through what you had. He could end up losing everything, including his own life. He could end up dead like everyone else..........


	10. Camping

Tenth Chapter!!

You continue to embrace Trunks for a few moments longer before he pulls away, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "I'm-I'm sorry ****." he apologizes quietly, looking up into your face. "I didn't mean to get so upset." Realizing that a tear of your own is running down your left cheek, you wipe it away and shake your head. "Don't be sorry, Trunks. I understand." you say, trying to smile. Appearing slightly more relaxed and reassured, Trunks smiles back and puts his hand behind your back, pulling you into another hug. You are surprised by his action, but you place your arms around him as well and close your eyes, enjoying the peace of the moment. You felt so safe in Trunks' arms, like nothing could hurt you. Like you didn't need anything else. A moment later, the demi-saiyan lets go of you and your eyes snap open, leaving you feeling confused and slightly inebriated. Feeling exhaustion beginning to take you over, you stand up and breathe in deeply. "I'm going to bed, Trunks." you tell him, and he stands up as well. "Yeah, me too." he replies. "You hungry? I could make you something to eat." You want to say yes, but an odd feeling inside tells you to leave and go back to your room. Shaking your head, you turn towards the hallway. "No thanks, good night, Trunks" You call back, walking quickly down the hall and out of Trunks' line of vision. Once you reach your bedroom door, you pull it open quickly and slip inside, shutting it hurriedly behind you. Breathing heavily, you lie down on the bed and stare at the ceiling, deep in thought. 'Why did I run away like that?' you wonder. 'Why didn't I stay with him?' After a few futile minutes of pondering, you raise yourself and walk to the dresser, pulling your nightclothes out of a drawer. Slipping them on noiselessly and crawling into bed, you barely have time to switch off the lamp before the world goes dark.

Eyes fluttering open, you glance over to the clock and focus in on the time: 1:26 PM. Shocked that you had slept so late, you jump out of bed and walk briskly down the hallway, making your way to Trunks' bathroom. Once inside, you strip of your clothes and climb into the shower, squeezing a dollop of citrus shampoo into your palm and lathering it through your hair; After a few moments, you yawn and stand under the showerhead. This is stupid, you think. Why am I in such a hurry? Allowing yourself ample time to shave and dry off, you dress into a pair of tight jeans and a tee shirt and walk down the hallway towards the kitchen. Upon reaching it, you are surprised to see that no one is there. Bulma's usually cleaning in here around now, you ponder. Brow furrowing in confusion (_fusion_...hahahaha! *gets attacked by Gotenks for another lame joke*), you walk down the hallway opposite and make your way to Trunks' room. Noticing that the door is open, you walk inside and look around. There is no sign of him. Finally deciding that the others have left the building, you make up your mind to go outside and practice flying again. Sliding open the door and walking out, you observe a dull gray sky above you, clouds threatening to rain. Sighing in slight annoyance, you get into the standard position and begin your attempts once more. After about two hours of attempts proven in vain, you begin to get extremely frustrated and decide to wait until Trunks gets back. However, you feel the need to try one more time, so you slowly bend your knees and press your palms out into the air in front of you. Carefully directing them towards the ground, you compact your energy between them and force it towards the ground, pushing off lightly with your feet. To your awe, you realize that you have risen over five feet above the earth, and you now hover in midair. Overwhelmed with excitement but determined to keep your focus, you press more energy below you and begin to rise, feeling waves of moist air washing over your body. Ecstatic, you look back towards the ground and attempt to move forward. Gradually, you feel yourself advancing as you push your energy behind you, raising yourself a bit higher and looking around in wonder. A moment later, you feel yourself beginning to lose control of your precarious balance and begin to fall, flailing fearfully in hopes of regaining your hovering position. You shut your eyes tightly and cry out, only to feel someone's hand grabbing yours. Eyes snapping open, you look up and see Trunks hovering above you, smiling. Relieved, you sigh as he lets you down. "Thanks, you were just in time," you say, feeling a bit shook up. "That was lucky." Trunks shrugs. "Actually I felt that your ki was in flight when I was out looking for survivors, so I came back to see how you were doing." He directs his gaze to the clouds above. "It looked pretty stormy out here, too. I thought it'd be safer to come home." Nodding, you get yourself into the flying position again and push off with your feet, forcing our energy below you. To your surprise, you realize that you are hovering again. Looking down at Trunks, you grin in happiness and give him a thumbs up. "Looks like I've finally got it" you say, smiling.

Grinning, Trunks hovers up beside you. "I knew you could learn. It just took some time, that's all," he says, looking to the west. "Hey, how about we fly around a little. It'd give you some practice." Nodding eagerly, you turn and begin to hover slowly in that direction. As Trunks flies slowly next to you in order to assure you don't fall, you both continue your journey through the air and over the tops of the trees, looking around at the scenery. After a few minutes, Trunks stops and you do the same, looking over to him. "Hey, ****." he says, pointing down to a forested area below you. "There's a really nice spot down there. What do you say we take a break?" "Sure." you reply, the constant expulsion of energy beginning to give you a headache. Trunks slowly begins to hover back down and you follow, half afraid you'll lose your balance and end up falling. Sighing when you reach the ground unscathed, you take a moment to observe your surroundings. There are many lush, green trees overhead hiding the solemn sky above, and a distinct rushing noise immediately comes to your attention. Glancing over to Trunks, you see him beckoning for you to follow and you do so, weaving in and out of the trees. When he finally stops walking you find yourself directly in front of the source of the sound: a large, rushing waterfall running over the sides of a tall cliff. Wondering why you had never seen this before, you gape at its beauty, eyes wandering over the crystalline water and pool below. "Wow, you were right," you breathe. "This is pretty." Nodding, Trunks walks over to a nearby tree and leans against it. "Yeah. I found it a few years ago when I was walking through the forest. Pretty cool, huh." Eyes still glued to the waterfall, you walk over to a different tree and sit down against the trunk, sighing in calmness. Trunks walks over and sits down next to you, eyes widening as he looks around the secluded area. "Hey, I have an idea." he says, looking over to you. "Why don't we set up camp here?" Confused, you cock an eyebrow. "Camp?" you reply with a hint of disbelief. "Uh, how? We don't have any supplies or anything." Smiling, Trunks reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small white box. As he pops it open, you observe numerous small, metal objects, labeled with different numbers and colors. "Sure we do. Just watch." he says, pulling one of the larger objects from it's case and pressing down on it. You watch in fascination as he throws it a few feet in front of him, wondering what he is doing. As it hits the ground, a puff of smoke surrounds the area and clears rapidly, displaying a dome shaped structure in the area where the small object previously lay. The building is about seven feet high, with glass windows at the top and a shiny, silver color. Bewildered, you look over to Trunks. "What-what happened?" "It's a tent." Trunks explains, looking over at it, "Capsule Corp is famous for taking big things like this and converting them into capsule form. Then when you press the button, they convert back to their regular size." Staring at the 'tent' in shock, you tear your gaze away and turn your head towards him. "That's awesome." you say, amazed. He smiles. "Yeah, I know. And all the food we'd need is in there too. So, what do you say?" Suddenly feeling very excited, you nod. "Sounds great." you tell him smiling. "Awesome." he says, looking pleased. "Now, let me show you the inside..."


	11. Frozen Pizza

Eleventh Chapter!!

Walking to the door of the tent, Trunks pulls it open and you walk inside, curious as to what you will see. In amazement, you behold a furnished kitchen area and sitting room, complete with couch and television. There also appears to be a hallway to your right, leading to more rooms. You glance up at Trunks in surprise and he smiles back. "Pretty cool, huh?" he say, looking down the hall. "There's only one bedroom, though, so I guess we'll have to share." Feeling your stomach lurch strangely, you nod and walk over towards the refrigerator. Before you can open it, however, a realization comes to you. "Uh, Trunks?" you ask hesitantly. "I didn't bring any extra clothes." Trunks shrugs his shoulders. "That's ok. There's some extra clothes in the bedroom. They're, um, my clothes, though. I think they'd fit you, if you don't mind." Nodding, you turn back to the fridge. "That's fine." you tell him, opening the door and glancing around at the various foods. "Any idea what we're having for dinner tonight?" you ask with the casual attitude of a long-time friend. "I'm getting kinda hungry. Trunks lets out a chuckle and walks over to you, looking in the refrigerator. "Me too. I think there's a frozen pizza we could make." After pulling open the freezer door and rooting through the cluttered contents, Trunks eventually pulls out a large pizza cocooned in plastic wrap. Freeing it of the wrapping and sliding it into the oven, Trunks sets a nearby timer to 25 minutes. "That'll be ready soon," he says, looking back at you. "Wanna watch TV or something?" Eyes wandering to the open door, you turn towards it. "No thanks, Trunks. I'm going to go sit by the waterfall." you say, beginning to walk away. "Call me when it's ready, ok?" Trunks nods back slowly, and you make your way back outside. Following the whooshing sound, you walk through the mass of evergreen trees until you reach the waterfall. You walk to the pool's edge and sit down next to it, removing your shoes and rolling up your pant legs before dipping your feet into the water. You sigh in relief and relaxation and the cool water slowly washes about your ankles, directing your gaze to the waterfall once again. The water rushes down powerfully, splashing to the little pond at the bottom and calming around your feet. It's so strong, you think, watching the light blue ribbons of water crash down. So strong, but so gentle. So reassuring. After a few minutes of thought, you hear something behind you and turn around.

Looking to your right, you see Trunks standing a few feet away. "The pizza's ready." he says, pointing back towards the direction of the tent. "It looks good, too. Come get-" he stops, a look of confusion and concern entering his face. "Are you okay?" he asks, looking intently at you. Wondering what he could be talking about, you nod. "I'm fine. Why?" "Uh, your face is all red." he says slowly. "Have you been crying or something?" Confused and embarrassed, you shake your head once again. "No, I've just been sitting here. I'm fine," you say, feeling the odd warmth spreading through your cheeks. Still looking a bit worried, Trunks shrugs. "Ok. Well, the food's ready. C'mon." Nodding, you turn and follow him through the trees back to the campsite. What's wrong with me? you wonder. Walking back inside the tent, you immediately inhale the delicious scent of cheese. Your eyes rest upon the steaming pizza as Trunks runs a knife through it, cutting it into fair-sized pieces. Putting a few pieces on a plate and offering it to you, he grins as you snatch it quickly and plop down on the couch, chewing hungrily. Trunks sits down next to you with a plate of his own, taking a large bite and leaning back, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "You like it?" he says, swallowing. Doing the same, you smile back and nod. "Yeah. Great for frozen food." Glancing over at the microwave clock, you read the time: 9:39 PM. "Wow, it's pretty late." you say, taking another bite. Trunks nods back. "Yeah. That's one of the reasons I wanted you to come out here with me." You furrow your brow, confused. "What?" you ask. Trunks throws you a smile and takes your empty plate. "You'll see," he says, getting up from the sofa and putting the plates into the sink.

Seeing your confused expression out of the corner of his eye, Trunks lets out a laugh. "Calm down, you'll like it" he says, turning back towards you. "I'll be right back." With that, he turns and walks down the hallway. Becoming slightly nervous, you stand up and walk over to the sink, turning on the water and washing a spot of red sauce off of you thumb. A few seconds later, you see Trunks reappear with a dark blue blanket draped over his shoulder. "C'mon," he says, beckoning. "Let's go outside. I want to show you something." Slowly, you turn off the water and follow him through the sitting room and out the front door. Almost immediately, your eyes wander to the sky and you draw in a sharp breath of shock. A large patch of sky can be seen in the center of a cluster of treetops, masses of twinkling stars shining against the darkness. You are astounded by the beauty and number of them, unable to tear your gaze away. "I thought you'd like it." Trunks' voice says a few seconds later. "Come here." Glancing over to the demi-saiyan, you see him laying the blanket over the ground, smoothing out the edges and lying down upon it. "It's really pretty from this angle. Come lay down." Excitedly, you walk quickly over and lay down on the blanket to Trunks' right, about a foot away from him. Staring up at the sky above, you find yourself lost in the glittering silver stars, the surrounding space making them appear a light, crystalline blue. You lay still, entranced by their sparkling, flickering light and the sheer calmness of the moment. The crescent moon can also be seen, it's thick white glow casting a light upon the ground, making the shadows of the trees twist and stretch over the open patches of ground. You feel Trunks nudge your shoulder lightly, but you find it impossible to break away from the gorgeous sight above you, afraid that by looking away you would lose the moment. Apparently Trunks understands your feelings, as he stays silent and leans back away from you, looking back up to the heavens. After what seems like an eternity, you manage to look away and glance to Trunks, who turns towards you and shifts onto his side, smiling softly. "It's-it's awesome." you say in almost a whisper. He nods. "Yeah." You stare at each other for a few, silent moments until Trunks sits up. You watch him in curiosity as he grabs the left sleeve of his denim jacket, removing it and tossing it to the side. Now clothed in only a pair of baggy pants and a tight black muscle shirt, he leans back and puts his hands behind his head, looking back up at the sky. Finding your eyes running over his form, you are about to look away when you hear a sharp, screeching sound.............


	12. Hot and Cold Sweat

Twelfth Chapter!!

Startled by the loud, high-pitched noise, you look over to Trunks. Wearing a slightly annoyed expression, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the source of the sound: a large, blinking cell phone. Relieved but still surprised at the volume the contraption is emitting, you watch the demi-saiyan click the answer button and hold it up to his ear. "Uh, hi mom." he says, cheeks flushing a light pink. "Trunks!" you hear Bulma's voice from the other end of the line. "Where are you? I thought you said you wouldn't leave without telling me?!" Sighing, Trunks looks down at his hands. "It's ok, mom, I'm-" "What if the androids had gotten you?" the shrill voice interrupts shakily. "Or Cell? And I wouldn't know where you were!" Holding the phone slightly away from his ear, Trunks responds in a reassuring but slightly perturbed tone. "Don't worry, mom. I'm just camping out with ****. Everything's fine. I promise we'll be back by morning." The rest of Bulma's words are too quiet to hear, and after a couple more minutes, Trunks clicks the 'end' button and slides the phone back into his pants pocket, pink in the face. "Sorry about that." he apologizes with a small, embarrassed smile. "She gets really worried about me sometimes. I don't think she really gets that I can take care of myself." You smile back, finding the situation comical. "Well, I can see why. With Cell and all, I mean." Appearing slightly less nervous, Trunks stands up and gestures towards the tent. "I'm going to bed. You?" Nodding tiredly, you stand up and walk over to him. "Sure." you say, walking inside. Following Trunks through the living room and down the hallway, you halt as he comes to a stop in front of a door. Twisting the knob and opening it, Trunks stands to the side and allows you to step inside. The room is fairly small, with one queen bed and a closed door on the left side. "That's the bathroom." Trunks says, pointing at it. "You can take a shower if you want. There's extra nightclothes in the bottom cupboards, too." Nodding, you walk to the door and open it. "Thanks. Um, I'll see you in the morning, then." you say hesitantly. "Yeah. Night." Trunks replies, grinning. Turning away and walking into the bathroom, you close the door behind you and sigh, from both exhaustion and a strange tightness in your gut. After a few moments, you strip of your clothing and step into the surprisingly large shower. However, as soon as you turn on the water, you realize that there is no shampoo in sight. Stepping back out and searching through the cupboards, you roll your eyes in frustration when it appears that there is none. Deciding to ask Trunks where it could be, you crack open the door and stick your head out.

Just as you are about to question him, your eyes widen and your mouth opens as your eyes lock upon Trunks. He is standing in the center of the room, in the midst of pulling his tight black undershirt over his head. Upon seeing you, he removes it completely and throws you a questioning look, apparently unaware of your surprised expression. "Yeah?" he asks, tilting his head. "Need something?" Tearing your eyes away from his beautifully sculpted chest and directing them to his face, you take a deep breath. "Uh, is there any sh-shampoo in here?" you stutter, feeling like an idiot. He nods. "It's in the bottom left cupboard in the back." Throat tightening, you nod quickly. "Thanks." you say in a small voice, withdrawing your head and shutting the door quickly. 'Wow,' you think to yourself. 'He's...' Unable to finish your thought and feeling a stab of embarrassment in your gut, you breathe in deeply and preoccupy yourself with seeking out the shampoo. Once it has been discovered, you slip into the shower and wash up hurriedly, wanting nothing more than to get to sleep and relinquish these confusing thoughts from your mind. Once you have completely dried off, you dress into a loose pair of black pajama pants and tee shirt and open the bathroom door, walking out into the bedroom. Remembering the fact that there is only one bed, you gulp and glance down at Trunks, who lays asleep on the left side of the mattress. His eyes are closed and he lays completely still, the only sound his light breathing. Slipping under the covers and drawing back when you feel your leg brush against Trunks', you pull the pillow under your head and shut your eyes, taking a deep breath and letting sleep overcome you.

You wake the next morning in a daze, feeling yourself sway slightly as you open your eyes. Sitting up and glancing to your left, you see that Trunks no longer occupies the space next to you. Yawning and standing up, you walk wobbly to the bathroom to wash your face. Once you get inside, however, you notice a small, folded bundle of black clothing sitting next to the sink. A small piece of paper rests on the top, and you can see that there is a type of penmanship inked into it. Picking up the sheet and letting your eyes travel over the words, you read the following: _****. Here's some clothes for you. Let me know if they don't fit. Trunks._ Smiling at his courtesy and directing your attention to the black bundle of clothing, you separate the articles and lay them out. There is a tight black undershirt identical to the one he was wearing the night before, along with a pair of loose, light green pants and denim vest. Finding it strange but slightly funny that you have been presented with an exact replica of the clothing he wore the day before, you smile to yourself and slip it on, tugging the vest into place and looking at yourself in the mirror. Considering that the articles were manufactured for men, they fit you surprisingly well and you admire your reflection, noticing the 'Capsule Corporation' patch on the vest's right pocket and observing it with interest. Once you finish combing your hair and washing your face, you walk down the hallway and into the kitchen. Trunks is sitting at the small coffee table, sipping a dark beverage from a light blue mug. "Hey," he greets you, standing up. "Sleep well?" You nod, smiling. "Yeah. Is that coffee?" you ask, eyeing the mug in his hand. He chuckles and walks up to you. "Nope. It's hot chocolate," he says, grinning. "Want some? There's more in the pot over there." Nodding appreciatively, you pour yourself a cup and sit down at the table, Trunks seating himself on the opposite side. "It looks like the clothes fit alright." he comments, gesturing towards the vest you are wearing. "Yup." you say, taking a sip of cocoa. "Thanks for leaving them for me." "No problem." After a few more seconds of silence, you are about top ask him if there is any food when Trunks stands up hurriedly, a serious expression entering his face and his hand gripping the table. Confused, you cock your head. "What-" "Don't move." he says loudly, causing you to draw back in surprise.

After a few more moments of tense silence pass by, Trunks' eyes widen and he opens his mouth slightly. Without warning, he grabs your arm and pulls you towards the front door. "Trunks! What are you doing?" you ask in bewilderment and fear as he pulls you outside. "It's Cell," he says, slamming the front door and pressing a button on the side of the tent. A burst of smoke cloaks the surrounding space, clearing a few seconds later as a small capsule lays on the ground in the tent's previous place. Bending down and snatching it, Trunks runs off towards the trees ad gestures for you to follow. Remembering your last encounter with Cell and shivering in fright, you follow Trunks deeper into the forest, weaving through the trees and gasping for air. After a few minutes of running, Trunks stops in a small clearing and you do the same, leaning against a tree to catch your breath. Once you can muster up the strength to speak, you turn to Trunks. "Cell?" you ask. He nods, directing his eyes to the small patch of visible sky. "Yeah. He was angry, I could sense it." He looks over to you. "He must have realized that I destroyed android 18. Now he knows he can't reach his complete form, and he's not happy about it." Frightened, you look up to the sky, searching for any trace of the insect-like creature. All of a sudden, Trunks bends down behind a tree and gestures hurriedly at you. "Get down!" he whispers and you obey, kneeling down next to him and pressing fearfully against his shoulder. Looking up to the sky, you tremble when you see a single green figure glide over the open space, the sharp point of it's tail visible from the ground. After it passes in the opposite direction and out of sight, you let out a breath that you hadn't realized you had been holding and look over to Trunks. "It's ok," he reassures, standing up. "He's gone." Raising yourself shakily from the ground and leaning against the tree trunk, you sigh in relief. Trunks turns towards you and looks you in the face, light blue eyes softening slightly. "Sorry I pulled you out of the tent like that." he says, looking down nervously. "I had to make sure you got out in time." Surprised, you shake your head. "Hey, you just saved my life." you say, still in a slight degree of shock. "Don't be sorry." Giving you a wan smile, Trunks turns in the opposite direction. To your surprise, you see his cheeks flush a light pink. "C'mon, let's get back home." he says, hovering up into the air. "Mom'll be furious if we keep her waiting any longer." Laughing, you hover up next to him and slowly begin your journey back to CC....


	13. Black Out

Thirteenth Chapter!!

Gliding along slightly wobbly in the air beside Trunks, you turn to the side and throw him a smile. "Think we'll get attacked by Bulma once we get back?" you ask, a comical tone in your voice. "Heh, probably." Trunks replies, looking back, "I wouldn't tell her about Cell, though. She'll probably never let us out of the house again." Laughing lightly, you nod and direct your gaze back to the trees below. "Hey, Trunks," you say quietly. "You know how you can shoot those blasts of energy?" You see him nod out of the corner of your eye. "Well," you continue. "Do you think you could teach me?" Looking back at him, you see him nod. "Sure. You've already learned how to control energy, so it shouldn't be too hard." Feeling your lips curl into a grin, you thank him and look back down, feeling light warmth spread through your cheeks. A few silent minutes later, you find yourself approaching CC and touch down, following Trunks to the door. As soon as he twists the knob and opens it, you see Bulma sitting in the green chair, wringing her hands on its arm. "Trunks!" she exclaims upon seeing you, standing up and rushing over. "****! You're okay." she says, pulling her son and then you into chokingly tight embraces. "Yeah, we're fine." Trunks reassures once he is released. "Well I wanted to be sure." Bulma says relieved. "I thought I saw Cell flying nearby about an hour ago. I hoped he hadn't spotted you two." Widening his eyes slightly to convey a false look of surprise, Trunks shrugs. "Really? I didn't see him." A relaxed look washing into Bulma's face, she smiles wanly and begins to walk out of the room. "That's good. See you later then, Trunks. I have to go out and do some shopping." Smiling and waving back, you breathe a sigh of relief when she walks out the front door and shuts it behind her.

Smirking, you move closer to Trunks' right side and nudge his arm with your elbow. "Wow, you're a pretty good liar, eh Trunks?" you ask, slightly surprised. Trunks lets out a chuckle and smirks back. "I guess. So, wanna learn how to fire a ki blast?" Remembering your previous request, you nod happily and begin to walk towards the back door. However, Trunks' voice stops you. "It looks like it's gonna rain out there." he points out. "We could do it inside." Glancing out a nearby window and noting the dark, heavy clouds, you turn back towards him and nod. "Okay. So, how do you do it?" Trunks walks over to you and places his hands on the bottoms of your forearms, gently placing them into a close position so that your hands almost touch each other. "Okay. Now hold your hands together like this," he instructs, adjusting them slightly. Nodding, you back up a little in order to give yourself more room when you feel your back come in contact with Trunks' body. Feeling a spike of excitement and remaining in the leaned-back position, you look back at your hands and attempt to keep focus. "Good." you hear his voice say, removing his hands from your arms. "Now try to concentrate your energy between your palms." Squinting at your hands and feeling the odd sensation of your ki running into your arms, you bite your lip and push it between your palms, trying not to be distracted by the feel of Trunks' hard torso pressed softly into your upper back. After a minute or two of trying you notice a bright spark of white flicker between your palms. Excited but determined to remain focused, you soon begin to see more and more sparks crackling around your hands, finally forming into a small sphere of glowing white light. Lowering your left hand and gazing down at your right in awe, you look up at Trunks, breathless. "This-this is amazing." you say, looking back down at the ball of condensed ki. Smiling, Trunks gives you a thumbs up and moves to your side. "Wow, that was quick!" he says, eyes widening. "Great job." Smiling at his comment, you look up at him. "Thanks." you say quietly. All of a sudden, you realize that the room is nearly completely dark, yours and Trunks' face illuminated only by the energy ball in your palm. You take a moment to gaze back at the demi-saiyan, the flickering energy lighting up the icy azure of his eyes.

You are jolted out of your trance a moment later when Trunks' face is gone from your line of vision. Blinking in confusion, you direct your gaze over to the sitting-room sofa, seeing that Trunks has bent over and turned on the dim lamp beside it. Sitting down, he stretches out and turns toward you, beckoning. "Wanna watch TV?" he asks, patting the seat beside him. "I'm a little too worn out to do anything else." Nodding in agreement and walking over to the couch, you sit down about a foot away from him and prop your feet up on the coffee table. A moment later, you hear Trunks' voice again. "Hey, want some hot chocolate? I think there's some left," he offers. Happy that he asked, you turn towards him. "That'd be great, Trunks." you say, watching him get up and begin walking towards the kitchen. "I'll be back in a sec." he calls back, walking down the hallway and disappearing from sight. "He's really generous." you think, feeling your stomach tighten unexpectedly. Trunks soon returns, carrying two mugs brimming with steaming cocoa. "Here," he says, offering you one. Smiling back in appreciation, you take it from him and bring it to your lips, taking a slow sip and sighing when the heat runs down your throat. "Thanks," you say, stretching your legs out in an attempt to get comfortable. Grabbing the remote from the coffee table and pressing the power button, Trunks turns on the TV. Just as he turns toward you and offers you the remote, the screen goes black and the entire room goes dark.

Looking around and trying to adjust to the sudden darkness, you hear Trunks' voice directly next to your ear. "Power outage." he says disappointedly. Feeling his warm breath on the side of your neck, you inhale in surprise and stand up, bending down and trying to locate the coffee table. Feeling Trunks' arm brush against yours, you are about to ask if there are any candles when you see a bright light shine from behind you. Turning around, you see Trunks standing with a white ball of his light in his palm, illuminating most of the room. "You try." he says, waving his hand slightly. Placing your hands together and taking a moment to focus your energy, you are surprised when, almost immediately, an identical sphere of energy appears in your dominant hand. "Cool," you say to yourself as the light in the room doubles. Suddenly, you hear the sound of a door opening from behind you and turn to face Bulma, who stands in the doorway with numerous paper bags in her arms. "Power go out?" she asks, closing the door and setting the bags down on the coffee table. Trunks nods back. "Yeah. Fuse probably burnt out again because of the storm." Shrugging, Bulma turns her gaze to you. "Wow, did Trunks teach you how to do that?" she asks, pointing to the ball of ki. You smile. "Yeah, just a couple hours ago." "You must be a quick learner," she says, turning towards the hall. "Trunks, would you mind putting the groceries away while I take a look at the fuse box?" Trunks nods, and Bulma sets off in the opposite direction. Grabbing a few of the bags and following Trunks into the kitchen, you set the food down on the countertop and begin to help him put it away. Once you are finished, you turn towards Trunks. "Hey," he says, looking back at you. "Can I ask you something?"...


	14. Blue Abyss

Fourteenth Chapter!!

Confused, you cock an eyebrow and look at him. "What is it?" you ask. "Well, I was wondering if you might be up for going to look for another dragon ball tomorrow." he says, a tinge of hopefulness in his voice. "I mean, I could use your help. And I'm not sure that Piccolo can hold out for much longer." More than willing to assist, you nod back at him. "Sure, no problem." Smiling, Trunks turns back towards the fridge and, extracting a jog of water, pours himself a glass. "Thanks. I think I'll go to bed, then." he says, taking a sip. "I'll see you in the morning, kay?" Grinning tiredly, you nod and give him a wave. "Sure. Night." you say, turning away and walking down the hall. Once you reach your room, you change into your nightclothes and lay down on the bed, feeling exhausted. As your eyes close, your thoughts drift to Trunks. You remember earlier in the day when he had taught you to form a ki blast, how his chest had pressed gently into your back as he assisted you with the feat. Feeling a small grin creep onto your face, you open an eye and extend your hand out in front of you, concentrating your energy and forming the white sphere of light. The soft heat that radiates off of it reminds you of Trunks' light touch whenever he brushed past you or tapped your shoulder to get your attention. After a few seconds, you open your eyes in a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. 'What is wrong with me?' you wonder, closing you eyes again and pressing your hand to your forehead. Before you can ponder these thoughts any longer, you exhale tiredly and feel yourself drift into a deep slumber.

The next morning you feel yourself wake suddenly. Eyes snapping open and sitting up in bed, you glance around, perplexed. All of a sudden, you remember that you had planned to go searching for a dragon ball today, so you slide out of bed quickly and make your way to the bathroom. Washing your face and dressing yourself in a pair of tight jeans and black tank top, you walk out into the hallway and into the kitchen. Wondering why no one is there, you check the clock: 6:39 A.M. Confused as to why you woke so early, you open the cupboard and ruffle through it, searching for some type of breakfast food. Finding a box of cereal, you pour some into a bowl and fill it to the brim with milk, sitting down at the kitchen table and eating slowly. 'I wonder what time Trunks gets up.' you think to yourself. After finishing your meal, you stand up in order to put the bowl in the sink when you hear a noise behind you. Turning, you see Trunks standing a few feet away, dressed in a pair of black boxers and loose green tee shirt. "Hey ****." he says, rubbing his eyes sleepily and brushing a tousled strand of lavender hair away from his face. "You're up early." Smiling, you turn to face him. "Yeah. Want some cereal? I already got it out." Nodding appreciatively, Trunks reaches for the box and pours himself a dish. "Thanks. So, ready to go looking for the dragon ball today?" You make a slight noise of agreement. "Yeah. I'm kind of excited for the whole thing. Getting to meet all of your friends, I mean." You wash your dish and sit down at the table next to Trunks, yawning. He smiles. "Yeah, I think you'd like them." After a few moments of silence, Trunks finishes his food and stands up. "I checked the dragon radar last night," he tells you. "It looked like there was a ball a few miles to the east. I couldn't get the exact location, though. I thought we'd try to find that one today." "Okay." you say simply, standing up beside him. "I have to get dressed first, though," he says, turning away and walking down the hallway. "See you in a minute." Nodding, you turn back to the chair and sit down, tapping your fingers against the table and wondering absentmindedly what Trunks will be wearing.

A few minutes later the demi-saiyan returns, dressed in a pair of black jeans and (yes, ladies, what you've been waiting for) a tight black undershirt. His hair has obviously been combed and he appears much more awake. "Okay, let's go." he says, waving a hand at you. Following him down the hall and into the carport, Trunks opens the dented door of the yellow craft you had ridden in previously and you walk inside, plopping lazily into the back seat. Seating himself in the drivers seat and adjusting a few levers, Trunks raises the machine into the sky, pulling the dragon radar out of his pocket and glancing at it before adjusting the helicopter's path and shifting it into autopilot. Standing up and walking to the back, he sits down in the seat next to you and looks back at the radar. "We're going in the right direction," he says, sliding the device into his left pocket. "It's only about five miles away. It shouldn't take too long to get there." "Cool." you say, looking out the window. Suddenly, the memory of your encounter with Cell enters your mind and you look back at Trunks. "What if Cell finds us again?" you ask worriedly. "I don't think he's looking for us," he tells you. "Cell is smart enough to know that it's wiser for him to get android 17 before I can. He'd rather get more powerful as soon as possible than risk me ruining that chance." Finding his words comforting, you smile slightly and look back out the window out at the grey sky. "It's been raining a lot lately." you muse, deciding to change the topic to avoid making yourself more nervous. "Yeah, it has." you hear Trunks' voice close behind you. "I guess because it's almost autumn." Nodding, you watch as Trunks raises himself from the seat and walks over to the craft's steering device. Pressing a few buttons, he checks his radar again and smiles pleased when it begins to beep in loud repetition. "It's really close," he tells you as the machine begins to lower itself towards the ground. "The ball should be somewhere in this area." Feeling the helicopter lurch forward as it lands on the earth, you walk over to the door and slide it open, stepping outside.

Shutting the door, you take a few seconds to observe the area around. It is a mostly woodland area with many tall coniferous trees, their deep brown trunks (Me: Heheh, trunks, Trunks! Sorry, I couldn't resist ^^;) glistening with rain. The one major difference between this area and the others that you had visited before was the fact that a large river could be seen about twenty feet away, rushing swiftly. Ming drifting back to the whooshing sound of the waterfall, you turn towards Trunks. "How far are we from the dragon ball?" you ask, looking curiously at the dragon radar in his right hand. "About 27 feet." he says, handing you the contraption. "The ball's at a different altitude, though. I don't understand why." Confused, you tilt your head. "Different altitude?" you ask. "Yeah. Like it's higher or lower than ground level," he says, taking back the offered radar and holding it slightly in front of him. "Well, let's see if we can find this thing." After a few minutes of wandering, you hear the radar emit a loud buzzing sound. "The ball's only a few feet away." Trunks says, looking confused. "I don't-" Suddenly, he tears his eyes away from the contraption and looks to the area in front of him, noticing that he stands directly in front of the river. "It must be underwater," he concludes, looking down into the water. Glancing over to him, you furrow your brow. "Underwater?" you repeat. "How're you going to-" You're voice dies in your throat when you see Trunks beginning to remove his shirt. "Dive in and look around for it, of course." he says, unlatching his belt. "I can hold my breath for a pretty long time, I should be able to find it." Slipping free of his pants and standing in front of you clothed only in black boxers, Trunks turns toward the river. "I'll be right back," he says, throwing you a small grin and jumping forward. He collides with the water's surface and disappears under it, the resulting splash flinging a considerable number of small droplets onto you.

Tearing your eyes away from his discarded clothing and kneeling beside the water's surface, you stare down into the rushing abyss of blue. For what seems an eternity you look down into the water, wondering if Trunks is okay. Finally, you see his head break the water's surface a few feet away. Taking a deep breath and brushing soaked strands of purple hair out of his eyes, Trunks gives you a pleased grin. "I saw it," he says, taking another breath. "But it took me awhile to find it, and I couldn't last long enough to go down and get it." Excited, you stare happily down at him. "Hey, can I come see it?" you ask eagerly. "I think I can hold my breath long enough." Nodding, Trunks grins. "Sure. The water's nice, too." Discarding your shoes, you run up to the waters edge and, without another thought, dive in. As the cool fluid soaks through your clothing and comes in contact with your skin, you widen your eyes and exhale, staring over to Trunks. Smiling, he gestures for you to follow and you do so, enjoying the light, cool sensation; After about a minute of swimming, Trunks halts and points down to a cluster of sea grass. Squinting, you are able to make out a shining, spherical object resting in the center. Giving you a thumbs up, Trunks swim over to the mass of plants and slides his hands around the ball, raising it up into his arms. As he does so, you propel yourself forward in an attempt to make your way over to him when you feel something wrapped around your leg. Afraid and beginning to run out of oxygen, you look down and see a strand of some sea plant constricted around your ankle. Feeling an intense need to return to the surface, you pull violently at the plant, groaning when it's grip tightens. Feeling yourself begin to get light headed, you scream Trunks' name in panic and wave your arms about, the popping in your ears increasing. After a few moments, Trunks turns towards you, eyes widening when he notices you are restrained. He darts quickly over and slides his hand behind the plant, tearing your ankle free. Feeling your vision begin to blur, you close your eyes tightly and begin to try to swim upwards. Suddenly, you feel Trunks' bare arms wrapped around your shivering body and, thinking of nothing but the need of safety, wrap your arms weakly around him and bury your head into his chest. For the next few seconds, you aware of nothing but the sensation of rapid rising and the feel of Trunk's warm body pressed protectively against yours...


End file.
